The Okubo 180mm is probably a extra of my custom order, I modeled it’s spec after the Watanabe pro which for some reason I never got my hands on
Knife Japan: What's notable, worth buying, etc.?
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I gifted the 180mm G3 to Korean lady in hiking group. The 180 carbon blade to Tony also in the group. I've taught most of them sharpening.
These small blades are reasonable priced good for gifts.
These small blades are reasonable priced good for gifts.
I feel you on that. I've been leaning more and more workhorse lately and pulled out my neglected taller/flatter profile Tanaka ginsan and fell in love with it all over again. I love the compare/contrast aspect as tastes change with the moon.I was close Bill. Your two simple words were echoing in my head and feeding my burgeoning "ah just give it a shot" mindset. So, I put a few different knives to work yesterday for lunch and dinner. Even pulled out the small Wok Shop cleaver, that while larger than this one, does give that tall and heavy feel. My 180 Wat Pro also gives that to some extent.
They both felt really good and my resolve was weakening. Until I picked up my Moritaka and Homi. The Moritaka is taller but they are both lighter knives and I instantly remembered that's what I like. Man, it's taken me around three years to be able to say what I like with any confidence. It's nice to have different knives to compare.
So, back to ogling the "regular" nakiris and maybe a santoku or two.
Nice!
The Okubo nakiri is brilliant - I have the smaller of the two, only beaten by my Mikami amongst the nakiri's I have owned.
MikamiWell, I mean, you know ya gotta list the makers now.
Mazaki
Shigefusa
Okubo
Unknown - Eastern type - commissioned but never collected
Takeda -pointy nakiri
How are you liking it so far?
Havent got my hands on it yet, will report back
These just in last week. I figured I’d post them here rather than in ‘newest knife buy’.
Okubo Kajiya custom: 198x52x187g.
Nakamura/Miyazaki HAP40: 139x38x90g.
So far so good, the small knife is to be a gift.
Okubo Kajiya custom: 198x52x187g.
Nakamura/Miyazaki HAP40: 139x38x90g.
So far so good, the small knife is to be a gift.
I like it a lot. It’s got good heft and presence while being nicely maneuverable. Upon receipt, it needed a quick session on stones - literally 3 minutes total between1K then 6K - to resolve some initial tiny chips. The handle is well executed and nicely installed and sealed around the tang. The handle is not so thickly coated as to prevent staining during future heavier maintenance sessions, I think, but it’s very smooth, and seamless to the horn ferrule.
Slight snapping sounds on the thick end of a large carrot.
I’m not one to analyze the deep details of how a blade is made or shaped, and I’m certainly not one to compare it to other knives or some idea of perfection. I don’t have the experience or the inclination. If I see some reflections on the core steel indicating that the blade was made by hand, I don’t mind it at all when the cutting feel is this good. I’m also not one to immediately perform any modifications. I like to work with it for awhile and see what the maker had in mind.
The grind is nicely convex, as I like, and may eventually need a little thinning.
Altogether, I think I got a knife very well suited to my taste, my hand, and my work habits.
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Awesome. Thank you!
This guy just arrived and I have to say, wow, the hollow grind plus bevel work on this is beefy enough to count as an S-grind. Really lovely tip through the onions. More photos and measurements to come.
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Another impulse buy which clearly shows I should concentrate more on cooking than shopping...
Ikenami 240mm gyuto in B2. 241x48mm, ~230g. (they don´t seem to be as heavy as shown on the website so Michael might correct those figures which are ~10years old)
Brilliant experience with Michael´s service as I expected it. Lots of infos in advance and the knife came with a couple of printed pages with information about the history of knife-making on tanegashima island.
Haven´t used it so far; also because it has a little flaw:
The heel is "proud" towards the following 2-3cm. Seems as if the knife was sharpened on a wheel or so and the sharpener didn´t quite move the knife along the heel as thoroughly.
As shipping forth and back seems a financial catatrophe and I would hate to do that to Michael:
would you guys also think this one is easy to "repair"?
A litte extra pressure when sharpening the heel or knocking down the proud part by putting the edge directly on the stone? Thanks for any pointers or opinions!
Ikenami 240mm gyuto in B2. 241x48mm, ~230g. (they don´t seem to be as heavy as shown on the website so Michael might correct those figures which are ~10years old)
Brilliant experience with Michael´s service as I expected it. Lots of infos in advance and the knife came with a couple of printed pages with information about the history of knife-making on tanegashima island.
Haven´t used it so far; also because it has a little flaw:
The heel is "proud" towards the following 2-3cm. Seems as if the knife was sharpened on a wheel or so and the sharpener didn´t quite move the knife along the heel as thoroughly.
As shipping forth and back seems a financial catatrophe and I would hate to do that to Michael:
would you guys also think this one is easy to "repair"?
A litte extra pressure when sharpening the heel or knocking down the proud part by putting the edge directly on the stone? Thanks for any pointers or opinions!
Attachments
I’d grind the heel area first (the first 3mm or so in length). Should be a relatively quick job, not a lot of material to be removed. Use any 200-400 stone, keep the blade at a 45 degree angle or so, and sharpen both sides until the profile looks good. Then sharpen at your usual angle and check if it needs any thinning.
For a flatter profile you could also grind a bit the other section that’s touching the board (closer to the maker’s mark). But I imagine the profile will look good just by correcting the heel, assuming no “dead” areas remain (edge not touching the board when rocking)
The challenge for me when working on a small area like this is not altering other sections by mistake. Make sure you don’t drop the tip too much otherwise you may alter the profile in other areas, and consider using the side of your stone for the heel repair.
Nice purchase, I like the specs. Love by 180 bannou and 210 suji from Ikenami. I assume this is blade heavy given the specs + lightweight handle?
I received a 270 suji directly from Heiji that had a similar issue. So probably not uncommon with more “rustic” makers. Also probably a good idea to check if the blade is straight before doing anything.
Thanks so much Choppin! What you say makes good sense and sounds like a good solution.
Also reassuring to know that this is not a big fault and it sounds I can tackle that myself.
Much appreciated!
Yes it is a little forward balanced but reasonable and just what I was after.
Love the feel and profile.
Oh, and if anybody thinks of getting one:
They do custom height; as I know that most would find this too slender.
According to Michael custom orders take about 8 weeks.
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Agreed, it shouldn't take very long at all to get that hole in the edge sharpened out.
Haven´t tackled the issue yet but I think so too.
Used the knife and almost can´t detect any issues without looking at it.
Looks worse than it is and the knife cuts like the devil.
Loving the steel so far and it is a nice combination of heft while still being nimble.
Being a wide bevel it has amazing food release too.
Needless to say that Michael wanted to see pictures and offered to pay for shipping forth and back
if I should not be happy with my own repair results!
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I'm looking for a 210 gyuto, to be used mostly on veggies. This one looks like a good candidate, I wonder if anyone here has tried it. More like a santoku profile, but I like that.
https://knifejapan.com/nojiyama-marunaka-stainless-togari-nakiri-200mm/
https://knifejapan.com/nojiyama-marunaka-stainless-togari-nakiri-200mm/
I'd have to swap that handle out; the thinness of the spine + a thin, no bolster, western handle is giving me a blister where my index finger meets my hand from just looking at it.
Are you on the Unshu Yukimitsu train yet? Can't remember who all has one at this point. It's my best pure cutter.
mmm not yet, forgot about it... a 210 sounds cool, I should email Michael about it.
I do have some stiction of butternuts but am good on carrots. Mine is a little too thin for comfortable use on squash though, I like midweights for that. Elite on soft stuff. Here's my 51 mm choil for future reference for other folks
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! This was when I first got it and put the handle on. Michael wanted to see a picture of it handled
The best kind of notification
Which Model do you specifically have?
Ok, I ordered one Otsuka Hamono Bannou 140mm Aogami #1
I'll update in 2 years.
And I am hopping on the Okubo Santoku train.
Sounds like Unshu Yukimitsu is next?
I'll update in 2 years.
And I am hopping on the Okubo Santoku train.
Sounds like Unshu Yukimitsu is next?
